Rhode Island § 12-14-13 - Payment of Traffic Fines

§ 12-14-13. Violations of parking regulations in the town of Burrillville.

(a) The town of Burrillville is further authorized and empowered to fix any fines that the town council may, from time to time, establish for violation of its traffic ordinances. The town council may designate the police department for the purpose of collecting fines as provided in this section, when the offender decides to dispose of a charge without personal appearance in court within three (3) days from the date of notification.

(b) A person charged with the violation of any provision of the ordinances relating to parking ordained by the town council of the town of Burrillville and notified in writing by a police officer to appear on a day and hour stated in the notice to answer the charge before the district court for the seventh division instead of personally appearing in court may, in person or by one duly authorized by him or her in writing, appear at the Burrillville police station, admit the truth of the charge and pay the fine to the officer in charge of the police station; provided, that operators of cars registered out of the state may pay the fine by mailing the tag and the amount of the fine within three (3) days from the date of the violation, postage prepaid, addressed to the town clerk, town clerk’s office, Burrillville, Rhode Island; failure to appear and pay the fine or to mail the tag and the amount of the fine within three (3) days of the notice shall be deemed a waiver to dispose of the charge without personal appearance in court; and provided, further, that the appearance, admission, and payment is made to the clerk within three (3) days of notification, and failure to appear within that time shall be deemed a waiver of the right to appear and to dispose of the charge without personal appearance in court. The payment of the fine in the manner provided in this section shall operate as a final disposition of the charge and the proceedings shall not be deemed criminal. The notice provided pursuant to this section shall indicate the offense charged and shall also contain any information that will enable the person charged to take advantage of the provisions of this section. The right to dispose of a charge without personal appearance in court may not be exercised by any person who in any consecutive period of twelve (12) months next preceding the charge has been three (3) times in the aggregate adjudged guilty by the court, or has three (3) times admitted the truth of the charges made against him or her under the provisions of this section.